Our Vision

We believe in a world where young people are central to solution building, policy-making and lasting change.

A tipping point

With the largest youth population in history, there is an unprecedented opportunity for young people to take an active role in shaping the future. This generation has inherited enormous global challenges, but has the ability to confront the status quo and offer youth-led solutions for change.

A grassroots network

Born out of the World Economic Forum, the Global Shapers Community is a network of inspiring young people under the age of 30 working together to address local, regional and global challenges. With more than 7,000 members, the Global Shapers Community spans 376 city-based hubs in 156 countries.

In each city, teams of Shapers self-organize to create projects that address the needs of their community. Projects are wide-ranging— from responding to disasters and combating poverty, to fighting climate change and building inclusive communities. Shapers are diverse in expertise, education, income and ethnicity, but are united by their desire to bring about change.

A Global Footprint

Shapers also look for opportunities to have impact on a global scale by joining forces with other hubs. They represent a network of peers connected through technology, events and joint projects. Each year, hundreds of hub leaders known as Curators come together to showcase the work of their hub and strengthen relationships across communities. On the regional level, events are designed and led by Shapers to encourage collaboration, share expertise and explore community solutions.

Shapers + the World Economic Forum

The Global Shapers Community is a non-profit organization registered in Geneva, Switzerland and housed at the World Economic Forum. The Forum’s contribution to the Shapers organization includes significant financial and in-kind contributions for operational support including staff time, technology tools and opportunities to interact and collaborate with its membership network.

Channeling global energy at a local scale with peers genuinely interested in improving our community is only the beginning.